Is the ado about nothing? The Corn Refiners Association thinks so. According to their website, HFCSFacts.com, they claim that “high fructose corn syrup is safe and nutritionally the same as table sugar.” They even put out a series of corny (ha ha) and sickeningly sweet (ha ha again) advertisements telling the public that it’s okay in moderation. If you haven’t seen this one yet, get your barf bag ready…

Now perhaps they should add this line to the end of the commercial:

“I’ve got another sweet surprise for you honey… there’s mercury in my popsicle! You can have three bites because I love you so much!” (girl throws head back and laughs)*

Mercury found in common foods

According to new research, 17 out of 55 samples of common foods that had high fructose corn syrup as a leading ingredient were found to have detectable mercury. The products were:

There is a lot of debate about these findings and whether high fructose corn syrup is safe or not. The researchers who conducted the study argue that the fact that food manufacturers use mercury in the processing of high fructose corn syrup “is a totally avoidable, unnecessary exposure to mercury” and that any amount of mercury can be potentially dangerous, especially for children and babies.

Critics of the study and its findings say that they don’t specify the form of mercury found and that this matters with regards to its safety. They also argue that the amounts of mercury found are not enough to be dangerous to the consumer.

Want to know my opinion?

I haven’t eaten high fructose corn syrup in years, except in an occasional candy. My kids don’t eat it. One of the reasons it is in so many processed foods is because it is cheap, which is a bigger priority to most food manufacturers than the public’s health. The way high fructose corn syrup is manufactured compared to how cane sugar is made just doesn’t seem right.

Products that contain high fructose corn syrup are highly processed, which means you shouldn’t be eating it anyway. So dump your soda for one of the delicious natural sodas that are out there, spread your toast with real fruit jelly, and stop giving your kids pop-tarts! Why take a chance with diabetes, obesity or mercury?